McCaffery: Playing Pierre could help end Phillies' struggles

By JACK MCCAFFERY

Sunday, April 8, 2012

PITTSBURGH -- Charlie Manuel asked Laynce Nix to bunt Saturday night, and Nix popped up. He asked Jim Thome to take a home-run cut and Thome struck out looking. He asked $178,000,000 worth of Phillies to hit, but the only thing that felt like had been battered was his gut.

His team had just lost in 10 innings because it hadn't scored in the final nine. So there was Manuel behind his PNC Park desk, aware that his team would struggle to score, but unwilling to admit to a crisis. After all, he'd seen worse.

"When they rebuilt the team in Cleveland, that was worse, because we didn't have this pitching," he said. "As a matter of fact, we didn't have much of anything, if you want to know the truth."

The Phillies, at least, have something. That's why, by the next morning, Manuel had Juan Pierre at the top of his batting order, playing left. The Phils would fall again, 5-4, dropping to 1-2. But at least they would score three more runs than they did in either of the first two games.

"We have only played," Manuel said, "three games."

With Ryan Howard and Chase Utley absent, and with their offense having been decaying for two-plus years anyway, those are the Phillies' choices if they crave separation from those 2002 Indians. They can say they will be all right. Or they utilize their best players. In using Pierre as the leadoff hitter, at least Manuel proved he would try both.

Pierre went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, stole a base and made both the Pittsburgh defense and the Phillies' offense work. Now that he can no longer expect a three-run homer to go bounding onto Ashburn Alley and cover blemishes, that is about all Manuel has early into what still should be a championship season.

"If you see the way he plays, he's running a lot better right now," said Manuel of Pierre. "Today, he went down to first base a couple times in about 3.8 seconds. That's really good. Yeah. Before it's all over with, he could play a big role with our team."

Manuel was never really comfortable with either Jimmy Rollins or Shane Victorino at the top of the order. He's had eight years to choose one and daily, the task leaves him exasperated. Two years ago, he even struggled to choose one to lead off with a game left in the postseason.

Now, he has a fresh way to make the Phillies a reasonable big-league offense, with or without Howard and Utley: Pierre's speed. Manuel can bunt-sign all day, but most of his roster is so slow that it still takes multiple hits to create a run. These Phillies will crash if they continue to give away outs.

Sunday, Pierre led off the sixth with a bunt-for-a-hit, took second on an error and third on a Victorino sacrifice. In the seventh, he smashed a two-run single to right and stole third. That's useful, aggressive small-ball, not a timid concession to mediocrity.

Since the Phillies will thrive only with their historically dominant pitching, the prevailing position is that Manuel cannot sacrifice defense. Thus, the 34-year-old Pierre is considered a liability in left. But the manager owes those pitchers -- including Vance Worley who was overpowering Sunday -- that potential run support. So he must start his fastest, most accomplished offensive players and trust that his pitchers will keep games close anyway. That means playing Jim Thome at first as often as possible. If Freddy Galvis continues to go hitless, that means playing Ty Wigginton and Placido Polanco at second and third ... in either combo.

And that means a commitment to Pierre, who had more hits with the White Sox last season than any Phillie.

"Man, I'm just here whenever they call," Pierre said. "That's all I can say. It's a long season. I think everybody will be fine."

That's what the Phillies keep saying.

With Pierre at the top of the lineup, there were hints, at least, that they could be correct.